The Cooking Lesson
by Geezworld234
Summary: This is the follow up to 'The Consolation Prize' but can be read by itself. Sandra takes Gerry up on his kind offer of a cooking lesson.
1. The Cooking Lesson

**Disclaimer: Not Mine!**

**_This is the follow up to 'The Consolation Prize" but can be read alone too. This story is for bluecube76 who requested this, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments they are much appreciated!_**

**_Enjoy! :)  
_**

**_Love Gee xx  
_**

Sandra had no idea what was in store for her that evening, well actually that was a lie she knew exactly what would be in store for her that evening. A cooking lesson with Gerry Standing could only mean one thing; him showing off, for once he would be in charge and she knew too well she would never hear the end of it.

It was gone five o'clock that Friday evening and finally it looked like all the paperwork had been completed ahead of next month's audit.

Jack scarpered at exactly five as he was taking part in a golf tournament and for once it looked like he had a chance of winning, after all he had 10 years practice.

Brian left once all the time sheets were finished, he actually left pretty much the same time as Jack because Gerry had offered to give him a hand filling them out and for once when it came to the mundane task of paper work he actually was some kind of help.

"Are you feeling well, Gerry" Brian asked him in a mocking tone of voice.

"Very funny, Brian, if ya must know I'm giving the Guv'nor a cooking lesson" he smiled at the very thought.

"You're giving Sandra a cooking lesson, is she feeling okay" he joked again.

"Oh give it a rest, haven't you got to get home to Esther or something" he snapped, rather embarrassed at the fact Brian was taking the mick out of the situation.

"Unlike you I can take a hint, enjoy your cooking lesson" he said wheeling his beloved bike out of the office calling "See you Sandra" as he departed.

"Yeah see you Monday Brian, Gerry you don't have to wait for me, there's still a few loose ends that need tying, you go home and I will meet you there she smiled.

"Er no Guv, I actually thought we could do it at your place"

"Gerry, don't be so stupid you know there's no food in at mine, you're forever reminding me about that"

"Well it's a good job Sainsbury's is on the way home, it's alright you saying you can do this Sandra but how can you if you a afraid of food shopping"

"Gerry, I am not afraid not you are just being silly, fine, fine we'll do this silly shop, on one condition"

"Anything, Guv"

"You file all this paperwork away, and properly this time, if I present Strickland with a box full of paperwork for the audit that is not filed correctly your balls will defiantly be on the line this time"

She handed him the mass of paperwork and stuck her tongue out at him, she couldn't resist.

"Yes Guv" he said standing there cradling the fifty odd documents Sandra had just presented him with.

"Well get on with it then, the sooner you do that the sooner we can get this cooking lark over with"

She said shooing him off.

"We don't have to do this 'cooking lark' if you don't want to, ya know"

"I said I did didn't I, oh for god's sake Gerry just get on with it"

An hour later and a filing system which was still intact Gerry had finally finished his gruelling task of filing.

"Oh so you're done then, at last, I thought it was you that was eager for this lesson, not me"

"Ha ha don't mock, trust Brian to keep an over complicated system, I thought I wasn't going to be able to do it"

"But you did, see even you can file stuff away Gerry, I will remind you of this in the future" she winked.

"I have every faith that you will and in that case if you succeed at this cooking lesson I will remind you of that too"

"I have every faith you will, come on then I know you're dying to get me into Sainsbury's"

They walked out of the office and headed for their cars.

Not ten minutes later and they were standing outside the bright orange building that was Sainsbury's supermarket.

"Now this is a trolley, you push it along like this, see and you put all the food you are going to buy in it" Gerry teased, much to Sandra's annoyance.

"Yes thank you Gerry, I know what a bloody trolley is for Christ sake" she snapped.

"It's alright Guv, I know going into one of these places it daunting for the first time but I am here for you" he pushed.

"Gerry, you're on thin ice here, I can perfectly turn round and go home, without the cooking lesson" she warned him, giving a glare which was not all that convincing.

He let her push the trolley as he did not believe her when she told him she had actually set foot in a food shop before.

"Right, what do you want to get" he asked her, thinking it was only fair that she should choose the ingredients for the dish he would teach her to cook.

"Well I don't know, you're the one who's meant to be giving me the lesson"

"Okay well what foods do like to eat and don't say curry"

He already knew curry was her favourite.

"Curry" she smiled.

"Sandra"

"Okay, okay, well I do like a good roast dinner with all the trimmings; I haven't had that since I left home"

"You can't have that, it's not Sunday"

"You said anything but curry"

"Nah I think you will find what I actually said was say anything but curry"

"Well it amounts to the same thing"

"No it doesn't but you're not backing down are ya"

"Nope" she smiled

"Roast dinner it is, what meat and veg do ya wanna get"

"How about pork, with apple sauce and I'll let you pick the veg"

"Deal" he said shaking on it.

Neither one of them would say it but they both rather enjoyed this little trip to the supermarket.

Gerry being the 'gentleman' he was carried the shopping from the car into Sandra's flat. He even placed all the items neatly on the counter while Sandra did what she always did when she got home; crack open a bottle of wine.

"Just one for me, I'm driving and I think it would be best saved until dinner"

"Spoil sport" she joked.

"And just one for you too, that bottle of red will make a lovely cooking sauce for the joint and the red cabbage" he said taking the bottle out of her hands.

"Right, let's get on with this, I am starving" she said.

"Er you do realise that it's gunna take hours to for the pork to cook properly" he said bursting her bubble.

"You tell me this now" she sighed.

"It's alright, while its cookin' we can prepare the veg and make the stuffing and apple sauce from scratch"

"That's something I have never understood why on Earth would you want to make something from scratch when you can but it ready made from the shop"

"God, Sandra, I'm not even going to justify that with an answer, I knew you were a peasant when it came too cooking but I was not aware you were this under challenged"

"Under challenged" she huffed, we shall see about that, come on Standing, show us what your made of"

And he did just that, three hours later Sandra and Gerry sat down to eat what looked like a beautiful roast pork dinner.

"I'll let you carve" he said pointing the carving knife at him rather violently.

"I always carve" he boasted.

"Oh really" she joked.

Sandra was impressed by this 'home cooking lark', she had no idea that anything should could cook could taste this nice, it tasted better than something that had come out of a plastic or foil container. She had Gerry to thank for that all she really did was pass him cooking instruments and peel and mash the potatoes, chop the veg and help make the apple sauce, which was the best apple sauce she had tasted. Actually come to think of it, she had done a lot of this and she had done a bloody good job to say it was her first attempt she thought to herself.

"So then, could you do this by yourself now" Gerry said with a mouthful of pork.

She looked at her plate and chased the carrots around the edge of the plate embarrassed that she hadn't taken on board everything Gerry had said or shown her.

"Umm I think I could give it a good go" she lied through her teeth, well actually she could do most if it herself now, she convinced herself.

"Oh really" he said sipping that one glass of wine he promised himself with his dinner.

"Yes really, but I wouldn't say no to a few more cooking lessons" she said having really enjoyed tonight.

"I'm sure that could be arranged, we make a good team you and me" he said taking another mouthful of pork.

"Yes I think we actually do, I have to say this is delicious, I have never tasted cooking like it"

"See I told you, your own cooking is better than anything a takeaway gives ya"

"I'll drink to that, cheers Gerry"

"Cheers Guv" they said clinking their glasses together.

**The End!**

**_I hope you enjoyed this little Story and I would like to thank bluecube76 once more for just being amazing and giving me the inspiration to write this little fic! _  
**

**_Please feel free to review, love Gee xx  
_**


	2. The Final Test

_**Okay so I was going to leave 'The Cooking Lesson' there but Bethyboo97 once again pursued me to update so I did! Thanks again for all your support enjoy! x**_

About a month later and Sandra and Gerry's cooking lesson's had now become a regular thing.

Thanks to all the hard work each team member put in UCOS passed their annual audit and Sandra's dinner with Strickland was kept strictly worked based much to Strickland's annoyance and he even contributed to the team's efforts in ensuring they would be completely ready for the audit carried out by the commissioner.

Sandra placed the sea food risotto in the oven to keep warm while Gerry popped to the shop and shockingly Sandra was out of wine.

Sandra was rather pleased with herself as this was the first time since these tutoring sessions with Gerry that she had actually cooked the dish mainly by herself.

It tasted good too, even Gerry was impressed by Sandra's culinary skills even if he had to coax them out of her.

"So what are your plans for the weekend then Guv" Gerry asked his dinner partner.

"Why you asking me out on a date, Gerry Standing"

"Er no, not exactly, I was just thinking that now you have found your inner Delia-"

"I think of myself as more of a Nigella actually" she said, sipping her wine and kicking his foot from under the table.

"Do you now" he said, she winked at him unable to resist that opportunity of a cheeky flirt.

"Oh, of course" she said before letting out that contagious sweet laughter of hers.

"Fine then, now you have found your inner **Nigella**" he stressed "I was thinking that perhaps it's time for your final test"

"Oh yeah and what final test might that be" she said polishing off the last of her risotto.

"Throwing a dinner party for the boys and Esther" he said doing the same with his meal.

"So you think I am finally ready for that do you" she sipped her white wine.

"I think you were born ready, but you lost your way a little until I gave you these one to one lessons"

"Oh so this little dinner party is your way of taking the credit" she smirked.

"And showing off my A* student"

"Gerry I will have you know I am not your little project" the cheek of it she thought.

"I was only joking, come on Sandra what do ya say" he persisted.

"Oh alright, if it will shut you up"

"Alrighty" he beamed pouring them both another glass of wine.

"You will be there, though, in case I need a bit of guidance" she looked for that reassurance.

"Yeah, yeah of course, but I'm sure you won't need it Guv"

"I'm sure I won't either Gerry but it's nice to have that safety blanket isn't" she smirked knowing that comment would annoy him.

"I'm a safety blanket am I now" he muttered.

"Well you're either that or a spare part; I guess we shall see say, Saturday"

"Yeah Saturday's good with me Guv"

"Great I will phone the boys now, if you would be so kind and do the washing up for me Gerald"

"I don't get a say in that do I" he knew full well that he didn't.

"No Gerry you do not".

Saturday and at half past six Sandra was beginning to panic.

"Christ Gerry, what time did I tell them, the fish pie is going to be ruined" Sandra still could not believe she was panicking over cooking, if she told her mother she would have thought she was joking, which is also what Brian and Jack thought when she invited them round for dinner.

"Sandra calm down, look they are here now, I'll go and let them in and you can start serving up the starters" It looked like he was the safety blanket after all.

"Brian, Esther, Jack mate, please come in, I'll get your coat Esther, cheers Jack, Nigella will be with you in a moment" Sandra heard Gerry greet her, well their guest. She really felt the pressure now, what if they did not like the food or worse what if they thought Gerry cooked it? Well at least then it would be good she thought necking a glass of wine in almost one sip.

Sandra pulled herself together and brought the scallop mousse in lobster bisque which was Gerry's signature starter to the table.

"Here we go" she said smiling and handing each of her guests a plate.

"Looks yummy" Brian commented.

"Thanks" said Jack.

For the next five minutes everyone was silent. The made Sandra nervous a little as she was worried they were all thinking of things to say as they did not like the dish. If that was the case it would be a quiet evening.

"Oh, Sandra, that was delicious was it your own recipe" Esther said pushing her now empty plate to one side.

Before Sandra could say yes it was in fact her own recipe Gerry cleared his throat to remind her that it was his recipe.

"Actually Esther its Gerry's"

"Yeah not quite how I would do it but it was a good first attempt" he joked. He quickly took it back when Sandra kicked him where it hurt from under the table.

"Whose for the main" she quickly said taking the clean plates and she served the fish pie with new potatoes, and fresh green beans and broccoli.

This again went down a treat and Gerry knew this time just to compliment her fish pie as after all it was rather good.

Sandra finally served up the strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake she was hoping to make crème brulee but after an incident involving Gerry's blow torch which she ended up breaking when he tried to teach her how to make it she was unable to.

The cheesecake wasn't a disappointment, in fact she thought she would have made a dog's dinner of the crème brulee so breaking Gerry's blow torch was not a bad thing (unless you ask him of course).

The guest chatted and drunk more wine before deciding it was getting late and they should be leaving. Gerry, being Gerry was not one of these.

"Thank you for such a wonderful evening Sandra" Esther said kissing her on the cheek.

"Not at all Esther, thank you so much for coming"

"Bye Jack she called watching her guests leave.

"Want me to stay and help was up" Gerry asked deciding he wasn't ready to go home just yet.

"I wouldn't say no, thank you Gerry that is usually kind of you"

"It's the least I can do for my best student"

"Your only student" she reminded him.

"Yeah strictly speaking"

"So did I pass" she asked throwing him a tea towel

"Pass" he asked confused.

"Yeah did I pass this 'final test"

"Sandra, you walked it" he smiled lifting her off the ground as he hugged her "I'm dead proud of ya"

"Thank you Gerry, could you put me down the dishes won't wash themselves"

"Sorry Guv"

Almost an hour later and Sandra's apartment was as clean, if not cleaner than it was before the dinner party Gerry thought that he best be leaving too.

"See you Monday Guv"

"Yeah see you Monday, Gerry, thanks for being my safety blanket tonight and thank you for being a great cooking teacher"

"Not at all, it was pleasure, thank you for being a great pupil" he said kissing her on each cheek before she returned the gesture.

"Bye, Sandra" he called walking down the drive lighting a cigarette.

"Bye, Gerry" she called watching him as he did this. She was sad in a way that the cooking lessons with Gerry were over as she had really enjoyed them. But now she had no excuse not to invite him round for dinner.

As Gerry reached his car he too felt sad that their cooking lessons were over as he had really enjoyed getting Sandra to appreciate the fine art the is cooking but now she had no excuse to cook for him he thought.

_**Okay so this is really The End of this little story! I hope it was okay please review if you wish. **_

_**Love Gee :) xx  
**_


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